Parmesan Baked Chicken Nuggets

Solstice. The longest day. I made the most of the light — gardened in the morning, drove to the farm stand at ten, cooked all afternoon, sat on the porch in the evening and watched the light refuse to leave. The light is generous in June, and I need generosity this week, because the week has been hard — Marvin's forgetting of Jennifer has settled into the house like a new piece of furniture, something we walk around now, something we acknowledge without discussing, something that changes the shape of the room without anyone admitting it.

The tomatoes are coming — green and hopeful, hanging on the vine like promises. The basil is enormous. The zucchini is, as predicted, taking over the garden with the imperial ambitions of a vegetable that does not understand boundaries. I harvested the first zucchini on Wednesday — a modest one, only twelve inches — and made zucchini fritters, grated and mixed with egg and flour and Parmesan and fried in olive oil until golden. They are not latkes. They are summer latkes. They are what latkes would be if latkes went on vacation to the Mediterranean and came back with a tan and new ideas.

Rebecca called to tell me she submitted her tenure portfolio at Columbia. She will know by spring. I said, "You'll get it." She said, "You can't know that." I said, "I'm your mother. I can know anything I want." This is not true. There is very much I cannot know: I cannot know when Marvin's next window will open, I cannot know how many more Shabbat dinners he will sit through, I cannot know whether the retirement thought that has been growing in my mind will become a retirement decision. But I can know that my daughter is brilliant and that Columbia would be foolish not to tenure her, and I know this with the certainty of a woman whose certainty, in all other areas, is eroding. Let me have this one. Let me be sure of Rebecca.

The Parmesan I grated into those zucchini fritters was the same wedge I’d been shaving down all week — and after I set the fritters aside to cool, I still had the grater out, still had the afternoon light pouring through the kitchen window, still had that need to keep my hands useful and my mind quiet. These Parmesan Baked Chicken Nuggets became the answer: the same golden, salty crust, the same satisfying crunch, but something I could slide into the oven and step away from — something that required less of me while giving back just as much. On a week when so much felt uncertain, this recipe delivered exactly what it promised.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (or panko for extra crunch)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
Marinara sauce or honey mustard, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush or drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Make the coating. In a shallow bowl, combine the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well to distribute evenly.
Prep the chicken. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels — this helps the coating stick. Dip each piece first in the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off, then press firmly into the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides.
Arrange on the pan. Place coated nuggets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spaced so they are not touching. Drizzle or spray lightly with additional olive oil over the tops.
Bake until golden. Bake for 18–22 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point, until the coating is deep golden and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Rest and serve. Let rest 3 minutes before serving. Offer alongside marinara, honey mustard, or a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Parmesan Baked Chicken Nuggets — Because Parmesan Carries the Day, Even When the Day Is Heavy